Systems for dispense of beverages can be considered to consist of three main parts. The first part is a storage container or reservoir for storing the beverage. These storage containers when used in the context of alcoholic drinks, for example beer, are often referred to as a keg. These kegs are typically located in a storage area, cold room or cellar. Secondly a beverage transport system is used to convey the beverage to a dispense location, for example a bar, through pipes or lines. Thirdly, a dispenser commonly referred to as a tap, delivers beverage from the pipes\lines into a container, e.g. a glass, for consumption. Although usage varies, pipes are generally rigid whereas lines are taken to be flexible. In practise, a system may employ a combination of both. In the present application, the term conduit is employed and may be taken to include both rigid pipework and flexible lines or hoses.
A beverage dispensing system may also have additional components for example to cool the beverage and provide insulation of the cooled beverage in the dispense lines as the beverage is conveyed to the dispenser. Installations of beverage dispensing systems vary but a common installation might typically position the beverage storage containers in a chilled storage area or cellar. The beverage may then be additionally cooled in proximity to the storage area before being transported to the dispense location.
Alternative installations may provide the additional cooling of the beverage in proximity to the dispense location. Another possibility is to not use a chilled storage area but to transport the beverage from the storage container at ambient temperature before cooling the beverage in proximity to the dispense location.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary beverage dispense system. The beverage dispense system comprises beverage storage containers 1, located in a beverage storage area, cold room or cellar 2. The beverage transport system typically comprises a number of beverage conduits 5 which may be a combination of pipes or hoses, FOB detectors 3 and one or more beverage chillers 7.
Each beverage conduit 5 is connected to a corresponding storage container by a connector 14, commonly referred to as a “dispense head” for carbonated beverage products. Other components may be included as required by the application or specific installation. The beverage lines\pipes may be insulated in regions 6 in order to maintain the temperature of the beverage during its time in the transport system. Beverage is served from a beverage tap 8 in a remote location, i.e. a bar area 4.
Beverages are typically dispensed from the storage container by means of gas pressure which pushes the beverage out of the container and into the beverage dispense lines. The beverage containers are configured so that liquid is dispensed from the bottom of the container so the addition of pressurised gas above the level of the liquid forces the beverage out of the container. Gas enters the storage container through the dispense head 14 and is supplied from a source of pressurised gas 15 through a gas delivery conduit 16. Additionally pumps may be used to pump the beverage through the beverage dispense lines. Some beverages which do not use gas pressure may only use pumps to draw beer from the container to the beverage tap.
As storage containers empty, gas can enter the beverage dispense line and potentially travel up the line to the dispenser. For beverages which are carbonated i.e. contain dissolved gas, this can result in loss of beer due to the formation of foam or FOB (foam on beer) when beverage is reintroduced into the dispense line. FOB is unsuitable for consumption and is therefore wasted. To stop this occurring beverage lines are typically fitted with a device to stop gas ingression into the beverage dispense lines. These devices are commonly referred to as FOB detectors and typical examples include UK patents GB1,357,953 or Porter Lancastrian, GB2,286,581 of Francisco Moreno Barbosa and U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,459. They are typically configured as a liquid filled chamber that is positioned near the start of the beverage dispense line. Beverage enters the chamber near the top and exits near the bottom of the fob detector. A buoyant float in the chamber rises to the top when the chamber is filled with liquid and lowers as the liquid level drops when gas is introduced. As the liquid level drops the float drops into and seals a valve of the chamber preventing further gas ingress into the beverage dispense lines. Other fob detectors are known which operate indirectly. These indirect fob detectors use a sensor to determine the position of the float in the chamber and actuate a separate valve, to control the flow of beverage when the position of the float has been detected as having fallen to a particular level. UK patent GB2,404651 is an example of this system.
In some arrangements the beverage conduit splits to connect multiple taps to the same dispense head. Typically this is done downstream of the FOB detector. In this way one beverage storage container can supply a plurality of taps in different dispense areas.
It will be appreciated that in operation at any one time, the transport system for delivering beverages from the beverage storage container to the tap will contain a volume of beverage liquid. The volume of liquid incorporates the beverage resident in the beverage lines, the beverage cooler and the FOB. This liquid is in contact with the internal surfaces of the transport system.
Some beverages are shipped in storage containers as a sterile product to increase their storage life. Others are “live” (i.e. un-pasteurized or not sterile filtered) and contain yeasts from the brewing process. The beverage transport system is generally open (i.e. not sealed from its external environment) and there is the potential for ingress of yeasts and bacteria through the inlet where it is connected to the beverage storage container and at the outlet through the beverage tap. Additionally the flow of liquid through the transport system can distribute contaminating organisms throughout the rest of the transport system. While some of these are suspended in the liquid, others settle and grow on the surfaces of the transport system to form biofilm. The rate of growth of yeasts and bacteria is dependant on a number of factors including temperature, material type and surface roughness etc.
If the growth of yeasts and bacteria is sufficiently large it can produce unsavoury and off flavours in the dispense product, making it unsuitable for consumption. Therefore the transport system and beverage tap require regular cleaning to remove the biofilm growth and ensure the quality of the dispense product. During such cleaning processes, detergent fluids are typically flushed through the transport system and tap and then any residual detergent is rinsed away with potable water. Cleaning of the transport system does not produce sterile standards of contamination given the open nature of the dispense system. Instead, the aim is to remove and reduce the biological growth to levels where re-growth does not impact dispensed product quality between cleaning cycles.
There are a number of approaches taken to cleaning the beverage transport system. Typically detergent solution is introduced and dispensed through the transport system in a similar manner to beverage dispense. This is subsequently removed from the system by rinsing with water. There are numerous processes used for cleaning the transport system with varying parameters such as time, detergent type and concentration, flowing or static detergent exposure, the use of rinse water before as well as after detergent introduction. However the majority of processes include a process of filling the transport system with detergent, a static or “soak” period and its subsequent removal by flushing with rinse water. Introduction of the detergent may be performed sequentially into the transport system beverage conduits or in parallel, i.e. one conduit may be done after another or they may be done at the same time.
FIG. 1 includes an exemplary automated cleaning system 10. The system is connected to a water supply 12. The system is also connected to a source of concentrated cleaning detergent 13. The cleaning system in this example provides dilute detergent solution and rinse water to a common manifold 11 commonly referred to as a “cleaning ring main”. On the cleaning ring main there are outlet connectors 9 commonly referred to as “cleaning sockets”. The cleaning ring main may take a number of configurations including a single line with one inlet, equally it may be configured to form a loop so that detergent solution and rinse water is provided from either end. For cleaning, the dispense head is removed from the storage container and connected to a cleaning socket. Detergent solution and rinse water may then enter the beverage conduit 5. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is exemplary and one that is used commonly in practice to somewhat automate the supply of mixed detergent and rinse water. Other configurations are possible and are used in practice. Further components may be used to additionally automate the cleaning process (e.g. a drainage system from the beverage tap). Still further features may be included to ensure process conformance by monitoring time, sensor data etc and this may be recorded for future use. The process may also be performed manually by mixing the detergent solution and providing a pump to deliver it to the beverage conduits.
Different configurations are possible, thus in FIG. 2, the dispense conduits are connected to a source of line cleaning solution 18 through a common inlet manifold or “cleaning ring main” 11. The taps are connected by drainage lines 26 to a wastewater drain 17.
Methods to improve and automate the cleaning process have taken a number of approaches. Examples of automation include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,098,525, 2,016,926 and 4,572,230. Some alternatives use a mechanical device or “squeegee” reciprocally moving up and down the beverage conduits (e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,827,070, 2,413,626 and 2,331,460). Still other methods pulse the flow of the detergent solution in the transport system to help remove the biofilm growth from the surfaces (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 8,069,866 and GB2,414,284A).
One aim of using automation has been to enable multiple beverage conduits to be cleaned during one cleaning event and reducing manual intervention. Methods taking this approach use valves to control the flow of detergent into, or out of, the transport system beverage conduits to ensure that they are correctly filled with detergent and subsequently rinsed (e.g. U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,440 and US2006/0097008). This allows sequential cleaning of the lines with less manual intervention. Other systems use additional sensors (e.g. PH, optical) and drainage systems from the beverage tap in combination with valves to further automate the process. Examples include US2008/0223410 and GB2488777A. The disadvantage of this level of automation is the increased cost and complexity associated with the additional components.
Cleaning of the beverage conduits may be considered to be conducted in two ways. Firstly by sequentially filling individual or a subset of beverage conduits with cleaning solution until all the conduits are filled and repeating the process for rinsing. A serial example of this involves an operator opening a beverage tap until detergent exits the tap and closing the tap before opening another tap. A similar process is used for rinsing the detergent. The second method is to fill all the conduits in parallel with flowing detergent and similarly rinsing same. This is faster and requires less manual intervention or automation than sequential cleaning. Parallel cleaning is typically used in combination with some form of drainage system with one end connected to the outlet of the dispense taps and the other end to a wastewater drain for disposal of the liquid. All dispense taps are typically open for the duration of the cleaning and rinsing process.
Unfortunately, whilst performing the cleaning process in parallel is faster, it is not practical to do so in all locations and even where it is used the performance of the cleaning process may be significantly different between conduits. For example, because of varying line lengths and heights, the time required for detergent to reach a tap can vary considerably between conduits. Similarly, different conduits can have different flow rates when connected in parallel with the net result that the cleaning process is less than ideal for some of the conduits.
One way of addressing these problems is by use of an outlet manifold incorporating valves, sensors and a controller to ensure individual dispense conduits are completely charged with detergent solution. An example of this type of solution is exemplified by US2008/0223410. This type of solution adds significant complexity and cost, particularly if multiple beverage conduits are to be cleaned in different locations at the same time.
The present application is directed at providing a solution for the efficient and effective cleaning of beverage dispense lines in parallel.